As a lawyer and politician I believe in our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic, education, social and political progress as a nation, we all go up or else all go down as one people.

Month: November 2016

This morning while holding a watching brief for Indira Ghandi’s appeal at the Federal Court, I was impressed with the presiding Chief Judge of Malaya Honourable Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Zulkefli bin Ahmad Makinudin’s remarks that the case before him is about justice and not Islam as he rebutted the Respondent’s counsel. His Lordship even said although 4 of them on the bench are Muslims, they are more concerned with the law and fairness. Kudos! That should be the way …

Gerakan Youth deputy chief Andy Yong says it is time the country values meritocracy and hard work over race, including on the appointment of key positions.

“Today, after so many years of independence does it still make sense to have racial policy or convention as a central basis for high positions such as the chief justice, attorney-general and inspector-general of police?

“It is high time in order for us to move forward progressively. We must truly value meritocracy and hard work,” he said in a statement last night.

Doing so, Yong said, would mean true progress as we could achieve this without compromising our ethnic and religious identities.

He noted that it was more challenging for Malaysia which had chosen a different approach to the western concept of a melting pot.

“This mosaic approach is clearly more challenging than the melting-pot approach adopted by the western countries, but it was a choice that we made as a people, and we persevered to make it happen.”

He added that when our instincts are centred on race and religion, non-discrimination rules and policies are needed to facilitate peaceful cohabitation, provide a sense of security to minorities and to enhance cultural ties.

“This is when the harmony policy comes into play, for example the proposed National Harmony Act, with the objective of building a cohesive society, while still allowing Malaysians to preserve the ethnic-religious basis of their identities.”

Yong said as a society it was important to acknowledge that we wanted the best to lead in both the private and public sectors.

“All institutions and organisations from within our country such as schools, government departments, judiciary or private companies act as a sort of social filters.

“We must put people in competition with each other in order to identify the valuable ones and use their potential.

“I strongly believe meritocracy will be the best social and political system,” he said.

Bersih insisted they will proceed with their gathering on 19 November and the Reds want to counter it.

It is obvious one of the main reason Yellows or Reds want to demonstrate publicly is the impact of it.

It is only then any violent or unwarranted incidents will be conspicuous and attract medias attention. Doing it in a stadium or enclosed areas will not have such impact.

Although I do support peaceful assembly as provided under the laws; violent acts or action that caused hatred and disharmony is a big no.

Hence the police should clamp down not only the Yellows but the Reds. It is proven in the past by demonstrating openly in the public, no one can guarantee a peaceful gathering especially when there is provocation.

There are many ways to skin a cat, aggressive behaviour should not be one of it.

Certain parties want to see blood; this is so when they are provoked. All it takes is a spark of fire, worst if an agent provocateur who intentionally caused it.

So it is no more a question of democratic rights or liberty; it is about stability of the country.